Picture-supporter



(No Model.)

B. J. FITZGERALD.

PICTURE SUPPORTER.

Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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lhvrisn STATES Parent trips.

EDXVARD J. FITZGERALD, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

PlCTURlE-SUPPORTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,325, dated February22, 1898.

Application filed June 10, 1897. Serial No. 640,183. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it. may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. FITZGER- ALD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Everett, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPicture-Sn pporters, of which the following, taken in con nection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification.

The object of this invention is to obtain a device for hanging picturesor other articles, which device will enable a picture or other supportedarticle, after it is hung, to be raised to any desired point, thusavoiding the inconvenience. and trouble of altering the length of apicture-support and to bring the picture or other article to any certainline. This result is accomplished in this invention, as hereinafter morefully set forth, by means of a spring-slide provided with means forattaching thereto the picture or other article to be supported andmoving freely in an upward direction upon a vertical rod suspended fromthe picture-molding or any other point of the wall, but prevented frommoving downward on this rod while the rod is in the position which itnormally has when suspended and capable of moving freely in bothdirections when the rod is given a quarter movement of rotation.

In the accompanying drawings a device is represented which embodies theprinciple of my invention, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of thedevice, showing a picture supported by the same. Fig. 2 is a side viewof the supporting-rod and a sectional view of the slide. Fig. 3 is aview of the front of the supporting-rod when turned to permit the freemovement of the slide, and Fig. 4 is a front view of the slide.

In the several figures the same numerals refer to the same parts.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a rod provided at one end with a meansfor suspending the rod from any point on the wall in such a manner thatthe same slide will normally be outward.

When the room is provided with a picturemolding, a convenient device forthis purpose is the wide hook 2, which obviously acts to prevent therotation of the rod. Upon either the front or the rear side of this rodare a series of teeth or notches 3, each having the side which isuppermost when the rod is suspended in a plane at right angles to therod and its other side inclined toward the other end of the rod. Theslide is shown at 4. It maybe formed in any suitable manner and isprovided with perforations for the passage of the rod 1 through theslide, which perforations maintain the slide at right angles to the rodand permit the rotation of the slide in the rod. Upon'the slide is aspring-tongue 6, bent inward, so that its lower edge strikes thevertical face of the tooth adjacent to the tongue, and thus prevents theslide from mov ing downward, but this tongue yields, so as to permit theslide to be moved upward to any desired point. A convenient manner offorming the slide is by bending a plate of metal into the form of anellipsoid and stamping the tongue out of the piece of metal. A suitablerod is pivoted at one end to each side of the slide in any suitablemanner, and the other end of the rod is provided with a hook 7 or anyother device for holding the picture 8 or other article which is to behung on the wall. If it is desired to move the slide freely in bothdirections on the rod, this may be effected by giving a quarter-rotationto the rod, when the teeth will be free fromthe tongue, and it willslide freely upon the smooth surface of the rod.

The slide may be placed at any point on the rod, and after the rod issuspended the slidecan be adjusted upwardly at any point, but cannotmove downwardly unless the rod is quarter rotated, which movement cannotbe given to the rod while it is suspended.

Instead of a spring-tongue I can use any other suitable device forpreventing the downward movement of the slide.

As an additional safeguard against the downward movement of the slide Ican pro vide a series of perforations 9 on the toothed side of the rod,into any one of which a pin 10 maybe inserted to hold the slide inposition.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a straight rod, meanson said rod for suspending the same from a point on the wall andpreventingit from rotating; a series of IOO ratchet-teeth on one side ofthis rod, each having a straight side and an inclined side, inclined inthe direction which is downward when the rod is suspended, a slidemoving on said rod and turning on the axis of the same; means on saidslide for permitting the upward movement of the slide but preventing itsdownward movement when the rod is suspended; arms each pivoted at oneend to opposite sides of the slide, and means on each arm for thesupport of the suspended article.

2. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a straight rod; ahook in the end of said rod for suspending the same from apicture-molding, and preventing it from rotating; a series ofratchet-teeth on one side of this rod each having a straight side and aninclined side and all inclined in the direction which is downward whenthe rod is suspended, a slide moving on said rod, and turning on theaxis of the same, means on said slide permitting the slide to be movedupward but preventing it from moving downward when the rod is suspended;arms each pivoted at one end to opposite sides of the slide, and meanson each arm for the support of the suspended article.

3. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a straight rod; meanson said rod for suspending the same from a point on the wall andpreventing it from rotating, a series of teeth on one side of said rodeach having a straight side and an inclined side and all inclined in thedirection which is downward when the rod is supported; a slide moving onsaid rod and turning on the axis of the same; and a spring-tongue onthis slide having the lower edge bearing against the straight side ofthe tooth adjacent to the tongue to prevent the movement of the slide inone direction but passing over the teeth when the slide is moved in theother direction.

4:. The combination, substantially as set forth, of a straight rod, aseries of ratchetteeth on one side of the said rod each having astraight side and an inclined side and all inclined in the directionwhich is downward when the rod is suspended, a slide moving on said rodand turning on the axis of the same, means on said slide for permittingthe slide to be moved upward but preventing it from moving downward whenthe rod is suspended, a series of perforations in the teeth, and a pincapable of insertion into any one of the perforations and acting as asupport to prevent the slide from moving downward.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this ith day ofJune, A. D. 1897.

EDWARD J. FITZGERALD.

Witnesses:

WALTER B. BOSTVVIOK, J os. H. J ACKSON.

